IT JUST BLEW UP - THAT'S ALL!

It's almost impossible to skip over a headline on your computer that "pops up" unexpectedly and reads: "Man dies while trying to blow up condom machine, police say" - as I did this morning, (Monday) only to find out it took place in Germany where condoms are either in large demand - very expensive - or rather porous.

My first reaction was that the incident must have occurred in Baltimore - where everything else was blowing up for the Pittsburgh Steelers football team yesterday.

If you haven't been keeping track - once more (as they had done in the last three years ) the Steelers have allowed a badly mismatched opponent, in this case the Baltimore Ravens, with a 4 and 10 won/loss record to catch them either unaware or victims of completely unsuspected chicanery. 

 Baltimore posed a legitimate stumbling block that most fans were aware of based upon previous three point game outcomes - and their capability to interrupt a pretty good quest by this years Steeler team who were seeking legitimate playoff status.

Apparently Coach Tomlin did not as he opted to pass on the first three point field goal made available to him.

Unfortunately,  losing under these circumstances is not an infrequent occurrence for the Steelers, but attempting to determine it's causation is like trying to get someone to come forward and identify the kid with the illegal gun who murdered an innocent child in a gang related shooting.

 It's also apparently like a "hot potato" for the local Pittsburgh sports media) and seniors like me who are old enough to remember the old parlor game as a legitimate macho option for "spin the bottle" and "post-office."

It  -"Causation" -  begs for an in-depth journalistic investigation involving  interviews with past and present Steeler players - opposing coaches who may wish to remain anonymous (and deservedly so) - and actual feedback from the Steelers present GM, coaches, owners, as well as  people directly involved with the Steelers prior misfortunes. If that doesn't work let's hire a good sports psychologist.

If it needs to be "off the record" so be it. We definitely need to find an answer if we ever hope to gain the status that made the town so rightfully proud of it's football team and their ethics.

A failure to investigate causation  by the Pittsburgh sportswriters and editors may have finally caused the fans to ask the legitimate questions: "Has Mike Tomlin become another 'bank" that is too big to fail"? and:

"Do we have to wait for ESPN or Sports Illustrated to supply the answer?"

Listening to Steeler personnel who after yesterday's game were supposedly baffled by this continuing turn of events and gave us responses like: "We just didn't play our game." or the thoughts of a future prospective NFL HOF quarterback who was quoted as saying:"I  just couldn't find my rhythm" is equally troublesome.

While suggesting the possibility of a large family this last response simply doesn't make it in a world where "folks want to know" regardless of the importance of the subject matter.

Tomlin's record against good teams - those winning ten or more games - is truly impressive, but this same fact baffles even the most casual sports observer when comparing his success level there with his apparent inability to get his team up for games they should have won. It's scary.

Unfortunately, there appears to be sufficient representation by other professional sports teams in Pittsburgh who apparently believe that the sole goal for their organization is to get into the post season, also.

It would seem that the Pittsburgh fans definitely can't let one more local team not only continue to practice that philosophy, but who may - worse yet - adopt an attitude even more puzzling by failing to the extent that they may not even reach that post-season honor for three out of the past four years.

Failure is not the end of the earth - but failure with no apparent follow-up as to why you failed - as well as a lack of dedication to the gathering and sharing of information that may make it possible for a new game plan to be developed is usually the only "true failure."

With apologies to those involved: "A couple who is desperately trying to have a baby - and spend a considerable amount of time and money for in-vitro treatments or whatever else may be available to them, receive little solace in determining they  "almost  became pregnant".

 But, usually hope springs eternal, and rightfully so.

In most instances the medical experts can hopefully explain what went wrong, suggest other possible solutions  and the couple can continue to try with God's blessings.

The Steelers woes are definitely not in that life giving category and God may have quit Pittsburgh when he left his angels in Forbes Field's outfield back in the 50's.

The Steeler problems are not nearly as serious! It's about a game folks - not a living organism - and I've failed to figure out just what God's involvement might be in the game of football - if at all - despite all the chest crossing and fingers pointed toward the sky.

But despite that surprise revelation by me to the serious Steelers fanatics - where the Steelers ARE concerned in all of this is that it is becoming abundantly apparent that the bottom line is that "nobody in a position of responsibility - either team wise - or involved with the local media", really seems to care enough about this puzzling major sports wart to seek a valid explanation - let alone work on achieving future success in that regard. (OK, readers - catch your breath)

 Seriously, does it take well educated experienced football folks this long to come up with a logical conclusion? Poor planning? Poor coaching?

I know! I know! The fans are filling up the seats - the waiting lists increase in size - the seat license payments are up to date, this coach guy has an admirable winning record - and the guys sitting at the sports desks are not seriously concerned about being moved over to "obits."

Unfortunately,  it's the old Brooklyn Dodgers cry: "Wait till next year." which begs the question, "So, how did that all turn out for you?"

Okay, one more "I know".  I'm aware the new business philosophy is now "it's all about the money, dude", but I, perhaps foolishly, am stuck with believing in the oft repeated motto I learned years ago: "It's not the Steelers way".

In addition and adding to the puzzle is the fact that no sane individual could possibly understand the disconnect between winning the division, the conference, and the Super Bowl and accomplishing today's ever present God of "Making Money".

However, I guess there is one consolation.

That is, if you're a thin skinned professional football coach who may be without a team at the end of the year  - Pittsburgh is definitely the type of coach friendly environment where you may want to plant new roots should the present one vamoose.

Just saying, Chip & Lovie.

IT'S CHRISTMAS FOR SULLY

IT'S CHRISTMAS: Time to celebrate the day- and reflect on the Christmas's of old.

They start with my earliest memories as the oldest of three Sullivan boys residing at 120 Sumner Avenue in Forest Hills; a suburb east of Pittsburgh and which we called home. This was only after dipping our toes in the water at 119 Sumner and  23 Sumner - also rentals.

We Sullivan's were obviously Irish Nomad's - but apparently also extremely cautious due to our innate fear of  becoming  lost by straying too far away from the 87 Ardmore streetcar line that ran on Route 30 at the foot of Sumner. 

It was the 40's . My brother Jim was born when I was 4 and we lived at 23 Sumner . Tom, the youngest was born about 3 1/2 years later, following our pilgrimage all the way up to 120 Sumner from 23 - when I was about 5 or 6 years old.

Our home at 120 was the source of my first Christmas memories, me nestled  in an upstairs bedroom on Christmas Eve trying to fall asleep, but kept awake by muffled shouts below leading to my puzzlement as I attempted  to determine why Santa Claus was cussing.

Unfortunately, I was hampered in my research by my solemn promise to my mother not to leave my bed for any reason including the imagined sound of hoofbeats on our roof.

I soon learned as the years went by that the words I heard were not coming from Santa but another guy whose name started with an "S" - my dad  - affectionately referred to by friends, neighbors, and co-workers as "Sully."

"Sully", a very strong but compact Irishman, was not  blessed mechanically and attempting to keep an old 27 gauge Lionel - 5 car train on the track surrounding the Christmas tree - was a real challenge for him. "O" gauge would have definitely put him over the edge.

His lack of ardor for the task may have also been influenced by his "possible" intake of a few shots of "Three Feathers Rye" which he kept hidden in the high kitchen cupboards. The rye was normally private stock for his own fathers' occasional forays from the railroad style flats in uptown Wilmerding, Pa to graciously babysit his grandkids - when Marge (my mom) and Sully went out on the town.. 

As I became older and now in my late teens ,Mom had deemed me mature enough to accept the assigned but thankless task of assisting Sully, at our annual Pre-Christmas ceremony of "the holding the brads" for Sully. In brief, I had graduated to becoming "The Sorcerors Apprentice."

Each previous year Dad tried in vain  - by himself -  and despite  Marge's specific directions from the warmth of the living room ,  behind the safety of the rugged heavy glass storm door. to complete our outside Christmas decorations.

This had required my Dad  to convince  his unyielding stubby semi-frozen hands to hold the brads while he also "operated" the hammer.

His assigned task was to be completed  in order to accomplish Mom's annual goal of affixing the thick colored Christmas light cords into the weathered yellowish door frame in a symmetrical pattern - whose predestined shape was revealed and known only by her.

But, change was a coming.

Now, while Sully, under the tiny and bent overhead metal awning outside the doorway of our only owned Forest Hills home on Avenue F- was puffing on his ever present pipe - and still filled with greatly misguided determination - he yielded the ax (hammer) in the general direction of the brads, and I (with my eyes tightly closed) carefully placed one or two sacrificial fingers around the chosen brad.

I was able to do this by keeping my mind occupied - as I attempted to determine which I liked the best: becoming a new participant in our holiday lighting preparation or studying for my  final exams.

Needless to say, Sully  - a good man -would rather have outsourced both of the physical tasks involved in Mom's "annual decorating scheme."

Judging by his own continuing "annual non-Santa like" choice of words to describe his state of unhappiness to my Mom; it soon became obvious to one and all that Sully was not going to receive  the Christmas present he sought this Christmas either. 

As I got older, and had kids of my own - I became happy that Sully never had to deal with the challenge of inserting the razor sharp  tab "A" into slot "B" of my daughter Beth's metal stove, refrigerator, and whatever; particularly following her dad's "obligatory" celebratory Christmas Eve attendance a mile down the road at our popular neighborhood bar, MARTINI'S. 

One year, the Christmas Eve celebration there lasted so long that my best friend, another Irishman, John Tubbs and myself had to break away from our neighbors and friends - leaving both complimentary drinks and change on the bar - in a hasty but unsteady pursuit of a Christmas tree for yours truly - whose mission it was several hours before to accomplish this apparently daunting task all by my lonesome self.

John and I ended up "stealing" a tall but lop sided fir tree from a now empty and apparently closed Christmas Tree lot (only because the attendant had gone home and carelessly left no cash deposit box for latecomers.)

Actually, the tree looked not only straight - but perfectly proportioned at the time, as the two of us, reveling in our good fortune in finding one so close to home, were appropriately curious as to why it had been passed over.

Selecting it was only half of the battle. The real challenge was wrestling it on top of my company car as we both held it down on the roof by clinging to it's straggly branches through the open front door windows. 

Meantime,  I slowly headed home, despite the lack of traffic -carefully watching the road, but still working on my lengthy explanation for Beth's mother as to why it took so long for me and my pal to locate and select that "perfect tree." 

(I checked the following day, Christmas - on my way to our local "Stop-N-Go" convenience store - with a couple of  my kids along for protection - in order to make sure our new "perfect" tree had not previously been occupying a neighbor's front lawn. 

 But,  I soon realized neither John nor I  had taken along any sharp implements on our mission, and therefore I could drive back home and enjoy Christmas with a clear conscience.) 

My current Christmas Eve celebrating has been reduced to about a half- glass of Pinot Grigio - if that- and it no longer includes experimenting to determine that "just right"  combination of egg nog, rum and whipped cream, that I'm convinced I had perfected when I was much younger.

Time, age, and maturity tend to change a lot of old habits..

However, the spirit of Sully - lives on - as I still have scars on my fingers from those #$%^ metal tabs as well as "those hanging brads" - most of which are probably still stuck in the wooden door frame or red bricks surrounding that front door on Avenue F.

Merry Christmas.

A DIFFERENT APPROACH

Rather than concentrating our anger with repetitive frustration regarding Washington politics - let's say something positive (at least for a while):

This is the time of year when folks stop and demonstrate a recognition that what they see as their lot in life pales - when compared with other folks - some of whom they do not know and are hurt and suffering - and are definitely worse off than themselves.

When the "nutsos" in the world are busy scribbling graffitti on mosques as a demonstration of their misplaced ire with ISIS, ISIL  etc - there are others blessed with the ability to walk and chew gum simultaneously and who are actually able to see the whole picture.

Now, before I go any further I feel a need to share this political cartoon:

OFFICIAL REVISED OBAMA TERROR ALERT SYSTEM

Level 1 : Isis is the JAYVEE team.

Level 2 - ISIS is Contained

Level 3 - Isis is not an existential Threat

Level 4. OH , #@%^&

Thank you. Now I can continue.

I used to argue that if Muslims truly do not want be associated with whatever the term is that our President cannot bring himself to repeat - they need to publicly disassociate themselves from this horror that has been unleashed upon us and argue against it.

Then I realized, perhaps this also means that in rural America those who do not support beastiality have an obligation to make it clear they do not condone such behavior  and publically condemn what they know is happening on their neighbor's farm, as well.

Now, I will admit that excludes those folks who have first hand knowledge of  the accuracy of  the punchline in the once  popular joke that ends with one of the jurors whispering to another juror at a beastiality trial :"You know if you get a good one - they'll do that sometimes". 

I'm now living in the South and believe it or not  have made friends with folks who admit they once had neighbors or friends down here who were burning crosses on  lawns -typically located on Martin Luther King highways etc but they also did not feel compelled to identify them when the "Feddies" came around poking their nose into what obviously was none of their business.

My point is that even though you would not conduct yourself as your neighbors are willing to do - nor share their philosophy - this does not force you to defend your own beliefs even when they differ from those of the "nutsos"who claim they share your religion and are maiming and killing folks at random.

Now, if the "good guys" regardless of their personal philosophy see a couple of "nutsos" pulling up to their driveway in a half ton pickup with a truck load of materials suggesting they may be hoarding the raw material necessary to make a zillion pipe bombs  - that's a whole different matter  -and you might understandably change your approach.

After all, even those who are not among the sharpest knives in the drawer may recognize  there's a possibility that something may go wrong in their neighbor's basement  -and they could end up blowing up your house too.

What is it that causes good teachers to protect bad teachers, good attorney's who are unwilling to turn the bad ones into the bar associations - politicians or hedge fund managers who refuse to expose the bad apples in their associations or organizations - and doctors who are unwilling to report the "hackers" who take up the time of seniors serving as jurors at a malpractice trial? 

I suspect it's a case of "this really doesn't involve me - I'm the good guy and "I'm" certainly not doing that."

But, if so, then what the hell causes people to take days off from work to rebuild churches for which they are not members , take up collections to replace a whole truckload of presents for young  kids who are indigent and whose possibly "only" Christmas gift was carted away with the truck, those still fleet of foot who are still willing to chase down thieves who ripped off an elderly woman's purse and perhaps even the guys and gals who are willing  help the folks in the mosque scrub off the graffiti - despite the fact they do not agree with the religious tenets of  folks who may not see life the same way they do - even if they're not sure?

And let's not even get into those still sending a check to a Children's Hospital even when they misspell your name on those convenient return address stickers and tiny tablets. 

Even if you're the guy who folds up the $1 bill so as to cover the denomination before placing it in the Salvation Army kettle - - - and won't put that same amount in the tip jar of the restaurant until they bring you the $75 takeout food order and can then provide first hand witness to your generosity: 

" I still view this as a 'Different Approach' regardless of what the rest of the world is doing" - and maybe - just maybe - something that we need more of as we're trying to make sense of the less important  mundane topics like politics.

Have a Merry Christmas.

PUZZLES AND MIRACLE WORKERS

I find it hard to understand how  political decisions are made by either of our two political parties.

It seems to me to be rather apparent that barring some unforseen development Hillary will be moving back in to the White House, Donald will have had his fun and ego stroked , Ben will have discovered it's easier to work on brains than appeal to them, and little will have changed within the Republican Party or the way our Congressional politicians do business other than some Republican geezers  in Congress will be pretty PO'd by the fact that Cruz was willing to sell out attack them out of his desperation to get nominated.

There is a reason that only 58% of eligible voters made it to the polls in November 2012 and it had nothing to do with an early Christmas sales conflict. They see nothing positive happening in our electoral , legislative,  judicial, or executive system and I'm slowly starting to join their ranks because I'm concluding.

-- the tax code will not be revised.

- the pharmaceutical companies will still be jabbing us by selling drugs whose    patents have expired to other drug companies who will raise the price of these same drugs by 400% or more.

-Some  politician from Michigan who heads up the Congressional safety committee by dint of his being around for a while - and obeying without questioning the dictates of the more influential members of his party - will continue to hold automotive safety hearings - but do nothing to force the American auto manufacturers to make their vehicles more safe - apparently and simply because he does not want to take the risk of not being re-elected to office - by voters whose incomes are dependent on their automotive employers.

- those Trump supporting voters who feel they have been  bruised and abused by former GOP policies and candidates will some day return to their recliners and try to sell the merits of watching Fox New for 6 or more hours a day to their neighbors and family.

- the NCAA and NFL will continue to be trampling the civil liberties of their employees while being dictated or influenced in their decision making by anything that resembles paper currency and is accepted by large financial institutions - most of whom who - like them - have been deemed "to big to fail"

- we will continue to pay our federal prosecutors a miniscule compensation to battle corporate defense attorneys who are making almost as much as the size of the golden parachutes their lying, thieving clients are receiving in exchange for making unethical business decisions without the impediment of having to fear they will ever serve any time in the pokey or offend anyone on their corporate boards. 

Look, I understand the need for someone to shake us out of this lemming like conspiracy called "political correctness" - and that someone may have to be an individual like Trump who has established a large enough financial security grubstake that he need not follow the dictates of the special interest groups. 

These would be the same interested parties who have determined by simply blackmailing our elected officials by a refusal to support their re-election aspirations regarding their lobbying causes that make no sense to anyone who has ever read a book about anyone besides Harry Potter, these special interest guys and gals can achieve financial gains of 4000% more than their lobbying costs to achieve those gains. 

"Until" we see some signs of a defined effort to make some positive changes in the way we do business - conduct our banking decisions - price our drugs - approach and make sensible decisions with immigration challenges - or demonstrate an awareness and willingness by our politicians to recall that the goal of those 42 percenters  willing to go to the polls was that their only intentions in doing so were to elect folks who might finally demonstrate a willingness and plan to put the interests of their voters above their own  - I can assure those who are spiritually motivated that we could elect one of the 12 apostles and see little change.

(Hey, religious people with beards are not "necessarily" bad; but not all of them are necessarily miracle workers either.)

 I'd settle for some incremental but consistent progress in bringing us back to the days of morally and financially responsible business and political leaders. and a measurable action plan with specific timelines we could all monitor.  

How about you?